Final Words
by Lily of the Shadow
Summary: Rated for death... Someone commits suicide, and her last words to Tala confuse him, leading to painful consequences... Not nearly as sad as it sounds


Funny thing is, I wrote this when I was hyper...

Div

It was late at night and there were four relatively happy people returning from a night on the town. They pulled up in a silver Mercedes Benz convertible, and immediately killed the engine, cutting off the song in mid-verse, when they say the red-haired teen sitting out on the front step, face buried in his hands.

"Tala! What happened?" Korimi asked immediately when he lifted his head. Her brother looked incredibly worried, and this scared her. It took a lot to make the Russian blader worried.

"It's Liz." He said steadily, but quietly. Korimi and Catty both gasped as Tala nodded. "I think... She..."

"It was bound to happen sooner or later." Kai said. Everyone looked at him.

"How can you be so...heartless?" Catty asked, choking back a light sob.

"It was obvious she was thinking about it for some time. Honestly, a summer report on Capital Punishment for Criminal Justice? She's not even taking it. I checked her class sign-up sheet." Kai said, inserting the key in the lock and opening the door. Even despite his words, he couldn't hold back a gasp at the sight.

From the second-floor banister that hung over the entrance hall hung an ordinary brown rope. Attached to it was a young girl of about 15, her blonde hair loose and trailing to her waist, entire body limp and covered with self inflicted cuts from which blood still dripped. Her neck was obviously broken. She wore a pure white silk nightdress which went to her ankles, and it was stained with tiny streams of blood trickling down it. The image was a scene straight out of a horror movie.

Kai was the first to move, approaching the perfectly still girl. She was clutching a letter in one hand. It was tied to her wrist so that it wouldn't drop, even in death, so Kai had to work a moment to untie it. He finally stepped back and unfolded the letter.

"To my dear friends..." He began to read. He skimmed the letter quickly before continuing. "To my dear friends... I suppose at least Kai has figured it out by now. But by now it's too late. Don't worry, I didn't suffer. I did do my research after all. The noose was looped perfectly, so that when I jumped it snapped my neck immediately. I didn't linger. Herein are my last words to each of you." Kai stopped. Korimi and Catty were choking back tears and Tala and Rei were faring only a bit better. Tala's head was bowed, disguising any emotions he had. Rei only stared in shock at the girl who was once so full of life. Kai shook his head and told the girls to go into the other room.

"Tala, call the police and tell them we have a suicide victim." Kai said before going to the sitting room where Korimi and Catty were now seated. Rei was between them trying to comfort his sister and his girlfriend. Kai sat in a wing-backed chair across from them, pensive. Tala returned.

"They'll be here soon." He said simply, going and sitting on his sister's other side.

"Herein are my last words to each of you. To Catty and Korimi I say that I'll miss you both dearly. You were awesome friends, although I regret to say that you couldn't have helped this. It's not your fault. To Rei I offer thanks. You taught me a lot, and I won't forget it. To Kai I say much the same as Rei, although you need to learn to loosen up once in a while." Kai paused. Tala suddenly looked anxious.

"D...Did she say anything to me?" He asked, nerves creeping into his voice and tainting it with anxiety. Kai nodded. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"And to Tala. Oh, dear Tala. This is your fault." Tala looked shocked. Kai, however, pressed on. "You are the one who pushed me to this, with your aloofness, your inapproachability. If it wasn't for your I'd be alive. If it wasn't for you, my heart would still beat. If it wasn't for you, I'd still have my heart."

There was complete silence for a moment, save Korimi and Catty's stifled tears. Kai finally finished the paragraph.

"I loved you, Tala. I still do, despite my passing from this world. I don't mean to leave you with guilt, but this is my final chance to speak my heart. I must finish this letter and do this before I lose my nerve. With love to all of you, Liz."

After Kai finished the room was indeed completely silent. Everyone was shocked. Tala glanced over towards the door and slowly rose, eyes never moving from the spot beyond the wall where Liz hung from the banister rail. He left the room. His sister made to go after him but Kai stopped her.

"No. Leave him for now. He just lost the one he loved." Catty and Korimi stared at him, waiting for more of an explanation. Kai just exchanged a glance with Rei and remained silent.

Tala, however, was muttering under his breath, staring up at Liz's face. It was no paler than it had been in her life. Her eyes were closed and Tala noted that she had put on makeup to cover the image of death that would hang over her. She had applied foundation to keep her skin a normal color. She had also put it on her arms and legs so as to retain some look of life. Her nails were painted a pretty blue that matched the light eye shadow she had put on, and she also wore mascara and eyeliner, things she rarely wore in any case.

Tala took a deep breath and stepped a bit closer, still whispering to himself, repeating over and over her last real words to him.

)Flashback(

"Get out! Just get out!" Liz cried, shoving the red-head out the door. "I can't take it anymore! OUT!" She closed and locked the door behind him. Tala frantically ran to check the other doors, and all the windows, but none would budge. He didn't even try breaking them, they were the strongest shatterproof glass money could by. After the six friends moved in together, five of whom had enemies, they decided the extra security was needed.

Tala fervently wished they hadn't elected to do that now. He finally gave up, and sunk to the ground, defeated. He buried his head in his hands and awaited the time when his friends would come home.

)End Flashback(

"Liz..." He murmured, finally gathering the courage to touch her bloodstained hand. He held it, ignoring the tiny rivulets of blood that dripped down her arm and now onto his. The flesh was still warm, and rigor mortis hadn't set in. He assumed she had waited to jump until just before the other had arrived home. He dropped her hand and went up the stairs to the spot where she had jumped from.

Sure enough, there was blood, now coagulating on the hardwood floor, right next to an ornate knife that he recognized as having been gifted to her by himself. The past Christmas they had each drawn names and gotten a 'secret Santa' gift for one person. They were supposed to not find out who had given them a gift. Tala wondered if she had found out somehow.

He picked up the knife and returned to Liz's side. He reached up and cut the rope from her neck and lay her gently on the ground. He closed his eyes and just held her hand. Finally he opened them and leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on her cooling lips.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." He whispered. A sudden knock on the door jerked him from his reverie. He closed Liz's hand around the knife and lay it on her chest. She looked peaceful, as if she were asleep. He rose and answered the door.

"Sir? We received a call about a suicide..." The officer trailed off as he saw the girl on the floor behind Tala. He tutted. "Shame she ended her life. Did you know her personally?"

"...I...Did..." Tala whispered. He stepped back to let the officers in. One of them noted the blood on his hands. He looked ready to comment but was interrupted.

"Do you have any idea why she did this to herself?" Tala nodded and went into the sitting room, where Rei and Kai sat, comforting their respective girlfriends. He silently picked up the letter and left again.

"It was my fault..." He whispered as he handed the letter to the first officer. He then turned and knelt by Liz, taking her hand again. A single tear fell down his cheek. "All my fault..."

The officers skimmed the letter and exchanged a glance. The first officer nodded to the second, who said something into his walky-talkie.

"Son, the morgue will be sending a team to take her there. I suggest you call your insurance agency and a funeral home. I'm sorry this happened, the loss of a loved one is never easy." The officer said. Tala nodded mutely. He silently crept over to the stairs and lay his head on the bottom step. He stared at the girl whose life ended because she though her love didn't love her back.

He closed his eyes and drifted asleep before he could cry any more tears. He was woken by a sharp poke in his ribs.

He sat up with a start. He blinked wearily, noting that the hardwood floor was rougher than it was supposed to be.

"Tala! How did you fall asleep out here?" Catty asked, poking him again with a stick. He looked up and saw four amused faces staring at him A quick glance proved that he was outside, and that it was late at night.

"How can you guys be joking at a time like this?" He asked slightly venomously. Everyone exchanged glances.

"I don't know WHAT you're talking about!" Catty said, entirely confused.

"Liz! How can you be acting like she never died?!"

"Because I didn't, S'more head." He heard a voice above him say. He looked up in shock. Leaning in the open doorway stood Liz, an amused smirk on her face. "Geeze. Had I know you were tired enough to fall asleep on the stoop I'd have ripped your stereo out and locked you in your room instead of out of the house."

Tala's jaw dropped in shock. He immediately jumped up and grabbed Liz, spinning her around. When he set her down he pulled her into a kiss. Liz was, of course, shocked for a moment. Then she pushed him away and their four friends winced at the resounding smack she gave him. Tala held his now sore cheek.

"IVANOUV! Had I known that you would be kissing me for no good reason I'd have locked you in the pool house and tossed the key down the garbage disposal!" She cried before whirling away with a huff. There was a moment of total silence before Rei, Catty and Korimi began laughing hysterically. Even Kai managed a light chuckle. The rest of Tala's face turned red to match the handprint on his cheek.

"Shut up..." He muttered before stomping up to his room, embarrassed. He flopped on his bed, face down in the pillow. For a long time he lay perfectly still. He listened as the rest of the household settled into bed. Another hour or so passed before Tala stood. He stretched slightly before creeping down the hall to the slightly ajar door behind which Liz slept.

He pushed it open and peered in. Liz lay peacefully in her bed, sprawled on top of the covers. He saw on the dresser the knife she had used in her dream. He crept over to it and drew it out of the sheath. He was relieved to find not a smudge of blood on it.

"Geeze... That was one bizarre dream..." He muttered. He heard Liz shift in her sleep and froze. He slowly turned around to see Liz sitting up in her bed, glaring at him.

"Tala..." She said sweetly. Tala relaxed slightly. "Come here a moment." Tala hesitated before stepping forward slightly. Liz only smiled sweetly, which prompted him to come closer.

"Tala... About this afternoon..." Tala suddenly felt something swell in his heart. He pushed it down as quickly as possible, though, as Liz suddenly turned venomous. "FIRST THE KISS AND NOW YOU SNEAK INTO MY BEDROOM???" She cried, whipping her Popcorn Bucket pillow from behind her and hitting him repeatedly in the head with it. She chased him out of her room and down the hall, hitting him.

Their four friends stuck their heads out of their rooms to see what was going on. They then exchanged knowing glances as returned to their sleep, leaving the two to work out their won differences.

Div

Er... Yeah... Told you I was hyper... Peace, love and Tala's hair!


End file.
